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Deal: Spotify Premium for $99 annually

Two months back, Spotify and Hulu wowed customers when they offered Spotify Premium and Hulu’s basic option for just $5/month for college students. Now Spotify is back with another deal, but this one is applicable for all customers. Interested individuals can score an annual subscription to Spotify Premium for just $99, a $20 savings over a year at the monthly price of $9.99.

The offer is eligible for one year, after which customers will be switched back to the standard $9.99/month price. Customers can sign up anytime during the month of December for the deal. While this option requires shelling out more money up front, it does save cash over the life of the Premium plan. As a reminder, Spotify Premium allows users to download music, listen ad-free, play any song, and enjoy unlimited skips. At $99/year, it’s a bargain.

To sign up, click here or follow the source link below.

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Android and Me 1:21 AM No comments

Google Photos v3.10 adds text selection mode to Lens, prepares tool to remove obstructions from photos and videos [APK Teardown]

A new version of Google Photos is out in the wild and it's sporting a brand new text selection feature for those with access to Google Lens. A teardown of the APK also reveals that Photos isn't too far from getting a powerful tool for removing obstructions and ghosting effects from images, and it may soon have a new 'themed movie' generator that does all of the hard work of picking out content for short personalized videos.

Google Photos v3.10 adds text selection mode to Lens, prepares tool to remove obstructions from photos and videos [APK Teardown] was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , Tablets 11:09 PM No comments

Google Home Mini crashing when playing certain songs at full volume

People are reporting a new bug with the Google Home Mini. Some users are seeing crashes when playing music at full volume through the speaker.

The strange thing is that it only crashes with some songs. Those affected say “Royals” by Lorde and other examples are the culprit. Playing most music, my Home Mini doesn’t have any issues, but that song in particular crashes it almost immediately.

It seems that Google has an issue on its hands, but it’s aware of the issue and is asking for more details from its users. If you face such an issue, head over to the Google Product Forums and let them know what’s going on.

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Android and Me 4:11 PM No comments

Firefox 58 beta brings Progressive Web Apps, FLAC support, and more [APK Download]

Over a month ago, it was revealed that Firefox 58 would allow Progressive Web Apps to be added to the home screen. The Firefox 58 beta has made that a reality, and it's also brought with it some more new features, including FLAC support and two new locales. However, the Firefox Search widget is gone from the home screen.

The headline feature is here is support for Progressive Web Apps, or PWAs.

Firefox 58 beta brings Progressive Web Apps, FLAC support, and more [APK Download] was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , Tablets 4:09 PM No comments

Instagram is testing a native 'Regram' button, a hashtag following function, pinned threads in direct messages, and more

We all know Google as a company that is constantly testing new features with different users, and it turns out that Instagram has a similar habit. The Next Web spotted a ton of cool features the popular social media platform is working on, including a native 'Regram' button, the ability to follow hashtags, and much more.

Native 'Regram' button

You've probably seen some photos in your Instagram feed with someone else's handle and a little icon beside it.

Instagram is testing a native 'Regram' button, a hashtag following function, pinned threads in direct messages, and more was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , Tablets 4:09 PM No comments

JerryRigEverything tears apart the Razer Phone, finds some major flaws

The Razer Phone is the first smartphone from the gaming company, but technically it’s the second from Nextbit. Razer bought the company out and it’s easy to see the resemblance of the Razer Phone to the Nextbit Robin. Everything from the speaker grills to the buttons are nearly identical.

JerryRigEverything previously bend tested the Nextbit Robin and the results were frankly hilarious. It folded right in half with little resistance. With the Razer Phone being so similar, Zack’s video on the Razer Phone was a welcome surprise. Yes, his name is not Jerry.

The Razer Phone survived Zack’s usual tests, including the bend test. Unfortunately, the Razer Phone succumbed to the same problem as the Robin. With the body being made out of metal instead of plastic, it proved to be much more resilient but the device still suffered a major kink when bent, as well as a big bend in the area near the power button and a crack at the volume buttons. The camera lens and anodized finished back are also a lot more delicate than most phones, with a razor blade scratching the glass camera lens and keys leaving permanent marks on the anodized back.

Inside he found a very messy design, though this won’t affect usability, and a tiny, weak vibration motor. Taking the device apart also means ruining the speaker grills, which need replacement after repairs.

None of this makes the device bad. It survived the bend test while remaining perfectly functional so it’s not a huge concern. Nonetheless, it’s interesting to see how similar the design is to the Nextbit Robin and how Razer made the new device stronger. Let us know what you think in the comments!

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Android and Me 11:16 AM No comments

Google Play Store has banned apps showing ads on your lockscreen

There are some apps that decide to be completely evil and show ads on your lockscreen. Sometimes it’s a spam app, and other times it’s a good app that is updated to be malicious. Nonetheless, I think everyone agrees that lockscreen ads are the worst.

Google seems to agree, because the company has now banned apps from showing lockscreen ads from the Play Store. The exact wording exempts apps designed to replace your lockscreen, meaning apps that serve any other purpose can’t show lockscreen ads. Here is the new rule:

Unless the exclusive purpose of the app is that of a lockscreen, apps may not introduce ads or features that monetize the locked display of a device.

We have yet to see how Google will enforce this. Hopefully it will result in apps violating this rule being pulled from the Play Store until they are changed. While the apps that did this should no longer be used even if lockscreen ads are removed (we have to prove a point, don’t we?), this should make the Play Store a bit safer for the everyday user.

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Android and Me 10:26 AM No comments